Multipurpose charcoal fire igniter

ABSTRACT

A multipurpose charcoal igniter makes a fire with much charcoal in safety, which can be carried easily, and which can be used in cooking foods as a burner for portable pots or pans. The multipurpose charcoal igniter includes a case in which charcoal is put and an igniter joined below the case for igniting fire. The case includes a brazier mounted inside the case to put charcoal therein and the igniter includes a fuel inlet to which a portable fuel bottle is joined, so that charcoal catches fire when the igniter is lit by receiving fuel from the portable fuel bottle.

CROSS REFERENCES

Applicant claims foreign priority under Paris Convention to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0106606, filed Oct. 18, 2011, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, where the entire contents are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a charcoal igniter, and more particularly, to a multipurpose charcoal igniter which can rapidly make a fire with much charcoal in safety, which can be carried easily, and which can be used in cooking foods as a burner for portable pots or pans.

2. Background Art

Recently, as the society becomes prosperous and leisure activities are becoming more common, Roasting meat outdoors using various heating means, for instance, LPG, butane gas, charcoal, electricity, and so on, as a heat source has become a food culture trend. Roasting meat with charcoal fire is one of the favored cooking methods because it makes the meaty taste good and adds a fine flavor of meat, and hence, various tools for roasting with charcoal are provided.

In order to roast meat with charcoal, a person has to make a charcoal fire by lighting charcoal. Accordingly, in order to make a charcoal fire indoors or in the open air, a charcoal igniting method to light charcoal.

However, a conventional charcoal igniting method is to make a charcoal fire by putting charcoal into a closed space, such as a brazier and manually applying fire to the charcoal. Accordingly, the conventional charcoal igniting method has several problems in that it is difficult to light a fire, it takes much time to make a fire, and a lot of charcoal is wasted because the charcoal does not catch fire or burns out completely if the person cannot control the ignited fire.

Moreover, in the majority of cases, people ignite fire outdoors because various harmful substances, such as smoke, ashes, dust particles, and so on, are generated during the ignition, and in rainy weather or windy weather, such harmful substances spread around more during the ignition to thereby cause environmental pollution.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a multipurpose charcoal igniter, which can rapidly make a charcoal fire in safety after putting charcoal in a case, which can be simply carried with no limitations in places or environments because a portable fuel gas is used as a source of heat, and which can be utilized in cooking foods as a burner.

To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a multipurpose charcoal igniter including: a case in which charcoal is put; and an igniter joined below the case for igniting fire, wherein the case includes a brazier mounted inside the case to put charcoal therein and the igniter includes a fuel inlet to which a portable fuel bottle is joined, so that charcoal catches fire when the igniter is lit by receiving fuel from the portable fuel bottle.

The multipurpose charcoal igniter according to the present invention can rapidly make a charcoal fire in safety because fire is made with a large quantity of charcoal in the case serving as a shield, is eco-friendly because it can prevent that harmful substances, such as ashes and dust particles, generated during the ignition process spread out, and provides portability without limitations in places or environments because it uses portable fuel gas as a source of heat.

Furthermore, the multipurpose charcoal igniter according to the present invention is effective because it can make still more charcoal fire at once due to the multi-stage case.

Additionally, the multipurpose charcoal igniter according to the present invention can be utilized as a burner to cook foods by supporting a cooking tool, such as a portable pot or pan, on the case when it does not make charcoal fire, and can be used as a fire pit outdoors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a charcoal igniter according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the charcoal igniter;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a charcoal igniter according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the charcoal igniter according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a state where a portable pot is joined to the charcoal igniter according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a state where a portable pot is joined to the charcoal igniter according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the attached drawings, the preferred embodiments of the present invention which those skilled in the art can easily carry out will be described in detail. In addition, in the detailed description of the present invention, when it is judged that detailed descriptions of known functions or structures related with the present invention may make the essential points vague, the detailed descriptions of the known functions or structures will be omitted.

Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a charcoal igniter according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the charcoal igniter, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a charcoal igniter according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the charcoal igniter according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a state where a portable pot is joined to the charcoal igniter according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a state where a portable pot is joined to the charcoal igniter according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the charcoal igniter 10 according to the present invention includes a cylindrical case 10 in which charcoal (A) is contained and an igniter 200 joined below the case 100 for igniting fire.

The case 100 has a cylindrical shape opened at the upper part and the lower part and a conical brazier 120 of a net type which is mounted inside the case 100 and has a number of pores formed on the surface thereof. That is, the conical brazier 120 is mounted inside the case 100, and then, a large quantity of charcoal (A) is put on the brazier 120. In this instance, a support protrusion (not shown) for supporting and fixing the brazier 120 mounted therein may be mounted at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the case 100.

Moreover, a hand-grip 130 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the case 100, so that a user can easily and conveniently change a used position or carry by grasping the hand-grip 130 with the hands.

Furthermore, the igniter 200 for making fire is joined to the lower end of the case 100. The igniter 200 includes a cylindrical shielding body 210 corresponding to the case 100 and a ring-shaped ignition nozzle 220 located inside the shielding body 210. The shielding body 210 has a plurality of holes formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof to thereby continuously supply oxygen, which is one of three elements for ignition, to the inside through the holes. Additionally, the ignition nozzle 220 has a plurality of ignition holes spaced apart from one another at regular intervals, so that the igniter belches forth fire through the ignition holes and applies fire to the charcoal (A).

Now, a process of igniting the charcoal (A) using the case 100 and the igniter 200 will be described. First, the shielding body 210 of the igniter 200 is put on the ground, the ignition nozzle 220 is mounted inside the igniter 200, and then, the case 100 is joined to the top of the shielding body 210. Moreover, the conical brazier 120 is mounted inside the case 100, and a large quantity of charcoal (A) is put on the brazier 120. When the charcoal (A) of a necessary amount is put on the brazier 120, fire is ignited to the ignition nozzle 220 so as to continuously apply fire to the charcoal (A), then, the charcoal catches fire.

In this instance, the igniter 200 is communicated with the ignition nozzle 220, and has a fuel inlet 202 to which a portable fuel bottle 300 is joined. The fuel inlet 202 is exposed to an end of the outer circumferential surface of the shielding body 210 and the portable fuel bottle 300 is detachably joined to the exposed portion in such a way as to be communicated with the ignition nozzle 220, so that fuel stored in the portable fuel bottle 300 is continuously supplied to the ignition nozzle 220. The fuel inlet 202 may have the size that butane gas bottles for portable burners easily purchasable in the market can be joined, but may have various sizes that various fuel containers, such as the butane gas bottles for portable burners or cylindrical butane gas containers, can be joined to the fuel inlet 202.

In addition, the igniter 200 further includes an ignition plug 212 and a fuel supply control button 214 linked with the ignition nozzle 220 and the fuel inlet 202. The ignition plug 212 is linked with the ignition nozzle 220 in order to ignite fire to the ignition nozzle 220 with electric flames, and the fuel supply control button 214 is linked with the fuel inlet 202 and controls a supply amount of fuel supplied to the ignition nozzle 220 so as to control firepower of the ignition nozzle 220.

In the meantime, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the case 100 includes an inner case 110 which is movable vertically along the inner surface thereof, and the inner case 110 has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the case 100 and abuts on the inner circumferential surface of the case 100. In other words, when the inner case 110 upwardly moves along the inner circumferential surface of the case 100, the inner space in which the charcoal (A) can be contained is widened, so that a large quantity of charcoal (A) can be put and catch fire in the inner case 110 at once. Moreover, the upper rim of the inner case 110 is outwardly bent at a predetermined angle, so that the user can easily pull up the inner case 110 after grasping the bent portion with the hands.

In this instance, the case 100 includes a movement guiding part 106 for guiding a vertical movement of the inner case 110, and the movement guiding part 106 includes a vertical slot 102 extending along a longitudinal direction of the case 100 and a horizontal slot bent at the top of the vertical slot 102 at right angles. Furthermore, the inner case 110 includes a fixing protrusion 112 which is formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof and penetrates the horizontal slot 104 and the vertical slot 102 of the movement guiding part 106. The fixing protrusion 112 moves along the horizontal slot 104 and the vertical slot 102 so as to guide the movement of the inner case 110 and fix a movement position of the inner case 110.

In more detail, when the inner case 110 is located inside the case 100, the fixing protrusion 112 engages with the lower end of the vertical slot 102 and fixes the position of the inner case 110. When the inner case 110 is pulled up, the fixing protrusion 112 moves along the vertical slot 102 to guide the movement of the inner case 110. Furthermore, when the fixing protrusion 112 is located at the top of the vertical slot 102, the inner case 110 is rotated in the direction of the horizontal slot 104, and the fixing protrusion 112 is moved to the end of the horizontal slot 104 along the horizontal slot 104 to thereby guide the rotation of the inner case 110. Then, the fixing protrusion 112 engages with the end of the horizontal slot 104, such that the inner case 110 keeps the pulled-up state.

In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 5, the present invention can be used as a burner for cooking foods when a portable pot 400, which is widely used as an outdoor tool, is put and supported in the inner case 110 in the case that charcoal fire is not made. In other words, when charcoal fire is needed, charcoal (A) is put and ignited inside the inner case 110 and the case 100 to make charcoal fire, but, when charcoal fire is not needed or the user wants to cook foods using the charcoal igniter of the present invention, the user can make various foods after putting the portable pot 400 on the upper rim of the inner case 110.

As described above, the portable pot 400 which is larger in diameter than the inner case 110 is put on the top of the inner case 110, but the portable pot 400 which is smaller in diameter than the inner case 110 is fit into the inner case 110 to be used. As shown in FIG. 6, the inner case 110 includes at least one support protrusion 114 formed on the inner circumferential surface thereof for supporting the portable pot 400 inserted into the inner case 110. The support protrusion 114 is located collinearly with the top of the conical brazier 120 when the inner case 110 is located inside the case 100, so that the bottom surface of the portable pot 400 is located above the top of the brazier 120. Accordingly, the charcoal igniter according to the present invention can cook various foods contained in the portable pot 400 using firepower of the ignition nozzle 220 and heat of the brazier 120 heated at high temperature.

Additionally, the case 100 and the inner case 110 respectively have hand-grip recesses 108 to which a hand-grip of the portable pot 400 is inserted, and the hand-grip recesses 108 have a predetermined depth formed along the longitudinal direction from the tops of the case 100 and the inner case 110. In this instance, the hand-grip recesses 108 formed in the case 100 and the inner case 110 are separated from each other as long as the length of the horizontal slot 104 when the inner case 110 is pulled upwardly, but are located collinearly when the inner case 110 moves downwardly to be located inside the case 100. Therefore, because the handgrip of the portable pot 400 is inserted into the handgrip recesses 108 of the case 100 and the inner case 110, the portable pot 400 can be easily joined to the charcoal igniter and it improves convenience in use. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A multipurpose charcoal igniter which includes a case (100) in which charcoal (A) is put and an igniter (200) joined below the case (100) for igniting fire, wherein the case (100) comprises a brazier (120) mounted inside the case to put charcoal (A) therein and the igniter (200) comprises a fuel inlet (202) to which a portable fuel bottle (300) is joined, so that charcoal (A) catches fire when the igniter (200) is lit by receiving fuel from the portable fuel bottle (300), wherein the case (100) further comprises an inner case (110) vertically movable along the inner surface thereof so that the capacity of an inner space for containing the charcoal (A) therein is selectively regulated, and wherein the case (100) further comprises a vertical slot (102) extending along a longitudinal direction thereof and a horizontal slot (104) bent at the top of the vertical slot (102) at right angles, and the inner case (110) further comprises a fixing protrusion (112) penetrating the vertical slot (102) and the horizontal slot (104) such that the fixing protrusion (112) moves along the vertical slot (102) and the horizontal slot (104) so as to guide the movement of the inner case (110) and fix a movement position of the inner case (110).
 2. The multipurpose charcoal igniter according to claim 1, wherein the inner case (110) has at least one support protrusion (114) for supporting a portable pot (400) inserted into the inner case (110).
 3. The multipurpose charcoal igniter according to claim 1, wherein the case (100) and the inner case (110) respectively have handgrip recesses (108), which are formed in the longitudinal direction, and to which a handgrip of the portable pot (400) is inserted. 